Hot Hot Heat Frontman Reflects on Bassist's 'Mysterious' Departure

If the fervent energy on display at recent Hot Hot Heat shows have them sounding like a new band, that's because, in a way, they are.

The Montreal foursome kicked off a Canada/U.S. tour last week in support of their latest album, 'Future Breeds.' Although it's their fourth studio album, 'Breeds' marks the first release since the sudden departure of original bassist Dustin Hawthorne, who split with the band immediately after a successful tour in 2008 with Modest Mouse and Queens of the Stone Age.

"It was surprising, for sure," frontman Steve Bays tells Spinner. "He told me the news right after the tour, right after we landed, like, as were waiting for our luggage. And then I never heard from him again. I don't know where he is or what he's doing, and I've been playing in bands with him since the mid-'90s. It's really mysterious."

Though Bays says he was surprised by the abruptness of Hawthorne's departure, he wasn't entirely shocked that the founding member had chosen to leave the band.

"I think he just got to the point where he needed to create an entire new life for himself, and I totally respect that," says Bays. "You can't expect someone to be on the same page as you for nearly two decades, it's just not realistic."

Hawthorne's exit provoked some soul-searching amongst the remaining members, but Bays says it also excised a lot of the disappointment and grief that had been plaguing the band.

"As soon as someone doesn't want to be there, it affects everybody, and everything just comes crashing down," he says. "So losing Dustin was emotionally tough, but on a musical level it was also really liberating."

Hawthorne's replacement, Louis Hearn, brings more to the table than bass chops. According to Bays, Hearn's youthful exuberance has inspired the band to rediscover their roots.

"The more you enjoy making music, the better the music you're going to make," says Bays. "And so it's kind of your obligation as a musician to stay inspired and excited. The best thing about Lou is that he's not at all jaded. It's like we're looking through his eyes and saying 'Oh yeah, this is pretty cool.'"